Man who threatened Willingham fined $2,000

Case reduced to misdemeanor with successful completion of program.

Case reduced to misdemeanor with successful completion of program.

September 06, 2006|MARTI GOODLAD HELINE Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- A Florida man who left a threatening phone message for former Notre Dame football coach Tyrone Willingham was fined $2,000 Tuesday and placed on probation for another year. Andrew Kim French, 26, of Fort Myers, Fla., expressed remorse for what he had done while he was drunk at a party with other college basketball players in November 2003. French and his attorney, Robert Truitt, said French had matured a great deal as he participated in a pretrial diversion program. French's progress in completing an alcohol program, writing an apology, performing 100 hours of community service and obtaining a good job after completing his college degree earned him praise from U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher A. Nuechterlein. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Hays said French met all the requirements. French was allowed to plead guilty in July to a misdemeanor rather than the felony for which he was indicted in April 2004. Since the indictment, French has been free on bond, living and working in Florida. Essentially, French has already been on probation for two years. That is why Nuechterlein followed Truitt's suggestion to make the only requirement of French's one year of nonreporting probation to not commit any other offenses. French said when he pleaded guilty that he not only was drunk but under the influence of peer pressure when he made the 3 a.m. call to the Notre Dame athletic department. "My mother always said nothing good happened after midnight," Nuechterlein said. Truitt said other players were also making calls that night. Nuechterlein described the comments in the Willingham call as "vile, rude, abusive and obscene." At time French was indicted, he was alleged to have made similar threats to a former professional football quarterback and a ESPN sports announcer but was not charged with those. French said he believed the experience has helped him "grow from a kid to a man." A former basketball player for Florida Gulf Coast University, French said he has been working with youth in basketball camps. Staff writer Marti Goodlad Heline: mheline@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6327